2013 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note
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2013
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron (Pauillac)
It's a nice wine indeed. But you need to know, it's soft, short and sweet, as the fresh, soft textured, cherry, cassis, earth and cedar character is gone far too soon. In the old days, this would have been considered a proper lunch Claret by my friends across the pond. 4,826 Views Tasted Feb 10, 2016Blending 82% Cabernet Sauvignon with 18% Merlot, the wine reached 13.2% ABV and will be aged in 70% new French oak. From yields of only 32 hectoliters per hectare, the Grand Vin represents 40% of the crop. This is the lowest level of production for Pichon Baron in close to 50 years. With a developed nose of cassis, tobacco, black cherry and licorice, the wine features oak that’s already integrated into the wine. Soft and round, medium bodied and fresh, this wine has prominent tannins. Give it 5 years or so of bottle age before popping the cork. 89-91 Pts. 3,982 Views Tasted Apr 20, 2014 |
When to Drink Chateau Pichon Baron, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time
Chateau Pichon Baron is not a wine to drink on the young side. The wine is usually far too tannic, powerful, and backward during its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 3-6 hours, give or take. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.
Chateau Pichon Baron is usually better with at least 15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Pichon Baron offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15 and 50 years of age after the vintage.
Serving Chateau Pichon Baron with Wine and Food Pairings
Chateau Pichon Baron is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.
Chateau Pichon Baron is best paired with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Pichon Baron is also good when matched with Asian dishes, and rich fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta.
The estate made two changes starting with the 2012 vintage. Consumers are now able to go to the website for the chateau and use the visual recognition system that is now placed on the bottles on both on the capsule and back label.
Each capsule and back label has a unique code they can enter into the website to show if their bottle is authentic and the consumer can also know where the wine was initially sold, as a way to guarantee its authenticity. It's a step in the right direction that helps fight wine fraud and counterfeiting.
Additionally, the same technical team that is responsible for Chateau Pichon Baron produces Cap Royal. A quick glance at the label will remind you of the relationship. Cap Royal is available as a Merlot-dominated wine from Bordeaux Superieur.
Cap Royal is also available as a white Bordeaux wine made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Cap Royal is a true value Bordeaux wine. Interestingly, Cap Royal is a certified vegan wine.